Wednesday
Dec312008
Refresh!
Posted on 
Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 2:42AM
Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 2:42AM 
Greetings, Dear Friends!
And to those visiting, I say welcome!
I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way. Most of you know this already, but for our new visitors, I want you to know that each month I giveaway a gift card to someone who posts on my blog. This month someone will win a $25.00 gift card to Starbucks! So leave a post, share a story, and maybe you'll win a treat for you and your friends.
Now on to my topic.
Every Wednesday morning my husband and I spend an hour praying together before he heads off to work. This morning during our prayer time God gave me a fresh perspective on an insight He'd given me long ago.
If you've heard me speak before you've probably heard me talk about the 'snapshot' sin. We all do it. We've all been subject to it. Someone from your past knew you back when you were in a less-than-favorable season of life. Maybe you said things you wish you wouldn't have. Maybe your choices left a wake of disappointment behind you. Or maybe you were simply misjudged. There was only a kernel of truth in the gossip that was directed at you but you had no way of defending yourself. No matter. But you know in your heart that you've changed. God's done an amazing, forgiving, and renewing work in your heart, and you're forever grateful.
But still, someone holds a snapshot of you from 'back when' and they are judging you based on the old picture and not on the present reality. They've summed you up; they've come to conclusions about you and no matter what you say or do, they won't let you off the hook. It's quite painful, no?
I just love how Jesus refuted the snapshot sin. He walked right up to people who were known sinners, or of a hated race, or were considered the outcasts of society. He walked right up to those in need and ministered to them. He saw these precious people as ones who were created in God's image before the sin and stain of the world got to them. He regarded them from a Heavenly point of view. That's how I want to be regarded, don't you?
Even if someone has a snapshot of you, it has no power over you unless you surrender some of the value assigned to you by God.
This concept is something I teach on quite often. But let me share the fresh insight God gave me this morning.
How often do you hit the "refresh" button on your computer? What happens if you don't? You have an 'old' screen. We refresh our screen in order to have the most current page, updated changes, and most recent stats before us. We want the most accurate information available. Things change. The refresh button brings us up to date.
Well this morning during our prayer time I was quite challenged by the Lord. As I looked back over my shoulder at the year behind me, I see how God moved. I also see how I picked up certain opinions or assessments or assumptions along the way. The 2008 path has been one of highs and lows; good times and difficult times; peace in relationships and sometimes pain. God's challenge to me was this: "Are you taking any old information with you into this new year? Do you need to push the 'refresh' button with regards to your marriage, family, church, ministry, country, even Me? Have you made snap judgements or let go of the wonder that I am always moving, always working? Pause here for a moment, and take inventory. Seek My face with regards to every area of your life. Make sure you have My perspective and My heart, and not your own. Make sure you view every area of your life from a hopeful, redemptive perspective because that's how I see things."
Wow. What an assignment. And what a cleansing one it was.
I challenge you to do the same.
Take some time this week to be alone with God. Take inventory of the various areas of your life. Have you drawn conclusions about people, places, and certain experiences? Remember, we only know in part. God sees the whole picture. What for you might have seemed like a big mishap might have been from God's perspective, a divine appointment. Seek God's heart concerning these. Ask Him to bring a fresh revelation to your reality. Refuse to walk into the new year with old snapshots.
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:18-19)
Take inventory. Refresh your perspective. Repack your bags. And look ahead to the new thing that God is doing in you and all around you.
Be blessed, my friend.
PS - If you haven't signed up for my quarterly E-zine yet, you might want to. My next issue comes out on January 15th and I have a stack of fun books to give away! Here's the link:
Reader Comments (4)
Nice to hear from you again! Hope all is well.Blessings to you in this upcoming year!
It's so true, connecting with people from our past automatically connects to our past unless we carefully guard our mindset and perspective. Don't you think? It's important to remember and reaffirm what God has done in our lives. It's important to expectantly embrace what God is doing in our midst. What a gift each new day is!Blessings!Susie